Chapter 8

The securing of the area sustained heavy causalities on both sides due to the unexpected counterattack of the Rakk and their willingness to stay and fight. This caught the high command off completely and it was awhile before any move was made.

However the landings had been completely undisturbed, all supplies and forces had been landed onto the main LZ and moved off to their respective divisions. This allowed the navy to commit its full contingent into the action about the atmosphere. This though still was not enough for a full breakthrough as the two fleets had relatively equal strength. The skirmishes made saw at first heavy Human casualties but at time went on it seemed they were learning the tactics and weapon strengths of the aliens. Despite the devastating impact they had during the Midgard battle the alien ships were not infallible and in a pitched battle they did start to see casualties mount on their side.

This led to a solid stalemate in orbit with no fleet reinforcements coming to both forces and both had dropped off large numbers of manpower and equipment for a ground conflict. The colony had effectively been silenced and though there were a few towns around the planet that had escaped or been unaffected by the alien attack, the main capital city though was presumed to be in full enemy control.

Three weeks later the alien force had entrenched around Ortego and it seems like they were waiting for the humans to attack. However far to the right where the area was covered by swamp and forests there was a threat that the army could be flanked by an assault force if they chose to move through the land somehow. This fear motivated high command to order a division or company to relocate and defend the area if need be.

Hassan saw this as an opportunity to remove the 3rd from any role that could lead to prestige within the division. So he ordered the entire 3rd mechanised to move to the east and set up defences at the swamp land to prevent any kind of attack or flanking manoeuvre.

Greyman fought this with all his capability but with Penbrooke occupied along with most of the staff the orders from Hassan had to be carried out. So with a deep hatred of the trumped up Admiral he followed through the orders to move.

This process was easy enough as the division had not yet settled down other than the grazed Alpha Company. The vehicles and men simply shifted their direction from the north to the east with many troops catching a ride on the top of various tanks and other vehicles. The Marshall walked out of his shuttle which had landed on a plain stretch of grassland; the engines blowing dead plant life out around it in a mini whirlwind. Gharret and Edwardson saw him walk down the ramp and started walking towards him, both putting their hands up to shield their eyes from the wind kicked up by the aircraft.

However with the Ground Marshall was a figure dressed in dark red and black tiger strip uniform with a full helmet and black plated gloves showing no skin at all. The two were clearly talking which gave both men pause to walk up to the strange figure. However the stripped man soon moved off towards the nearby vehicular column. Greyman looked on with a frown until the two others greeted him.

Gharret smiled and saluted almost joyfully at his superior but Edwardson raised his hand slowly with a curious look across his face

"Things are picking up at dangerous rate" Greyman spoke with a voice submerged in thought

"And at an even more dangerous time" Edwardson responded as if knowing exactly what the Marshall was speaking about. Gharret however was clueless

"Enemy movement?"

"No, politics and ... trouble" With that he walked off completely blanking Gharret's questioning look. Edwardson however raised his eyebrow and patted the 2nd LT on the back before walking off

As the slow column of vehicles moved and soldiers trudged their way alongside Edwardson watched them from a hilltop with his hands behind his back and face looking up towards the sky, he had no interest in any politics. In fact when the word had been mentioned he had lost interest almost instantaneously, however it did concern him that it would worry the Marshall. These thoughts resonated inside his skull, bouncing off other thoughts that were less important, he was hungry, his men must be tired, what were the daylight hours of this planet. All insignificant flickers in comparison to his task, he chuckled slightly though he didn't fully understand why.

He almost sensed the presence of 2nd Lieutenant Gharret behind him, without looking he spoke aloud

"Above our station" There was a pause before a response

"Still, I can't help but wonder what's going on up in high command"

Why would there be anything going on" Edwardson started, almost forcing himself into the topic briefly "The command deal with military decisions in their spare time, even worse now the federation has joined in. So just focus on the thing at hand and don't look up at things you won't understand" Gharret grunted disapprovingly at this. He walked to the side of the Captain and stared down at the column

"Forgive me for asking sir, but have you always not cared about military politics?" The Captain looked down, his face blank before looking deeply into Gharrets eyes for a second. The tone in his eyes was of complex and deep emotions that the soldier could not fully make out. Slowly though the man spoke

"Well I was once ... My family was, submerged in politics" He spat the word out "Civilian governance over a colony and a military oversight of the sixth fleet and twentieth infantry. One can never remain isolated from the web no matter how hard one tries. My parents fell for a plot to take power away and replace them with another. Stabbed in the back! Internal bickering and strike for pointless reasons, at least at war the enemy has a uniform and even a small sense of honour. Doesn't matter anyway" With that he turned and walked away down the hill away from his subordinate.

The division arrived at the swamp land by the middle of the next day, the troops arriving and instantly separating into companies to form their firebases from which the area would be controlled. Alpha Company's Captain coordinated the position from the ground, walking through the mess of metal and flesh working away, lending advice or encouragement men as he went.

When he reached the edge of the base the engineers had already begun setting out razor wire on the perimeter in the boggy swamp. He looked at the area, the sky was grey and heavy rain clouds covered everything above. In the distance he could see a forest slightly to the right covered by grassy, muddy, wet swamp. Even the base was partly constructed on this; the towers at the corners had to be placed after a bedrock formation had been laid down for them. The tents for the men and vehicles were put up on the most solid ground found which appeared in a plateau type areas in which were fairly untouched by the rest, the rest of the companies also formed their bases on spots like these.

The breeze was nice, the Captain thought, not cold but just right. Explosions sounded in the distance from artillery firing away at enemy lines. This will be a long war he thought to himself, the battle may be fairly short here but the war will not end soon. His mind split off into a million thoughts about this, chiefly about the Federation and their part. However he simply waved these off, about turned and headed for the command tent for an issue to distract him.

Greyman meanwhile did not have the luxury of staying totally emerged in battle. The unknown red and black figure had remained unknown as he declined to identify himself on the transport down from orbit. However, their convocation was very short, the man simply asking about Admiral Hassan then views on the Federation. His response to these things had been short, correct in his mind and displeasing to the figure

"I'm at war and in charge of a division of men I need to keep alive. Whatever the Admiral does is his business and the Federation can do the same" This was said as the ramp dropped, the two walked out and after a moment the figure replied crisply

"We will see" and strolled off. This had troubled him greatly for the pure fact that military politics are a web of death even when it is internal in the Imperium. With the Federation involved it is a nightmare and one issue that the two parties are divided on would shatter everything in a fatal bloodbath.

Spurred on by this thought he contacted the support companies under the command of Captain Tarrick. Tarrick was a Chinese man who considered himself for all extensive purposes completely separate from any Chinese origins. However, the Captain was an extremely popular man with friends everywhere and a generally helpfully and positive outlook on nearly everything. Greyman turned the comms station on in his command vehicle and the line was almost immediately picked up. His face flashed onto a screen, a big smile covering it